The present invention relates to eye wear, including, but not limited to, activity eye wear, intended to be worn by individuals involved in sports and industrial activities.
Conventional eye wear, including safety glasses, sun glasses, and reading glasses, among others, generally include a front frame member in which the lenses are secured, and a pair of bow, or temple, members, or temples, which are pivotally secured to the frame member. Generally, the bows, or temples, rest upon the ears of the wearer of the eye wear, and the bows, or temples, are generally curved downwardly so that they act to secure the eye wear to the head of the person wearing the eye wear. Some conventional eye wear utilize a frame member which is curved, to generally conform to the shape of the front of the person""s head wearing the eye wear, such eye wear further including conventional bows or temples, as previously described.
One of the disadvantages associated with such conventional eye wear is that such eye wear is generally not designed to be xe2x80x9cone size fits allxe2x80x9d, in that the frame members and bows or temples are manufactured in different sizes to accommodate different sizes of heads. Another disadvantage associated with conventional eye wear is that the stability of the eye wear upon a person""s head is greatly affected by the intensity of the activity of the wearer. For example, a person sitting at his, or her, desk and engaging in an activity such as reading a book, generally does not have a problem with his, or her, eye wear becoming unstable and slipping off their head. In sharp contrast, an individual participating in a vigorous sports activity (such as baseball, basketball, football, hockey, running, rollerblading, shooting, hunting, skateboarding, skydiving, soccer, snow skiing and/or wind surfing) generally has a problem with their eye wear bouncing upon their head, or falling off their head. One solution for such a problem has been attaching an elastic strap to the ends of the temples of the eye wear to attempt to hold the eye wear in place during such vigorous activity. Generally, in order for such straps to work, they must exert a fair amount of pressure, or force, in order to hold the eye wear in place, which force or pressure can lead to discomfort when wearing eye wear which includes such elastic straps. Even if conventional eye wear is secured in place with the foregoing elastic strap, in many instances, such eye wear is worn by a person who is also wearing some type of hat or a helmet, such as a football helmet, or baseball batting helmet, as well as other types of protective helmets worn in other sports. In general, such conventional eye wear whether with or without an elastic restraining strap, is not generally compatible for use with other hats or such helmets, because in general, such hats and/or helmets apply pressure to the bows, or temples, of such eye wear, which may lead to severe discomfort when wearing the eye wear in combination with a helmet.
In an industrial setting, many individuals wear safety goggles, which generally are held in place by an elastic strap, which again can cause discomfort to the wearer of such safety goggles. Additionally, conventional safety goggles have their lenses mounted in a flexible frame and the frame generally includes a housing which engages the front of the person""s face wearing the goggles, and generally seal the safety goggles along the wearer""s forehead, nose, and around the eyes of the wearer. Wearing of such safety goggles during strenuous activities, or in hot weather, many times leads to the lenses becoming fogged up from temperature differentials, as well as having problems encountered from the wearer sweating into the safety goggles.
Accordingly, prior to the development of the present invention, there has been no eye wear, in particular, activity eye wear, which: doesn""t require different sized frames and temple members; remains stable on the head of the wearer during strenuous physical activity; remains stable on the wearer without exerting undue, uncomfortable pressure upon the head of the wearer; is compatible with, and comfortable to wear, with protective helmets and hats; and does not readily fog up during use. Therefore, the art has sought eye wear which: doesn""t require different sizes of frames and temple members; remains stable during strenuous activity; remains stable upon the wearer""s head without the use of an elastic strap; is compatible with different types of protective helmets and hats; and does not easily fog up during use.
In accordance with the invention, the foregoing advantages have been achieved through the present eye wear. The present invention includes a brow bar member, having first and second ends, adapted to be disposed adjacent the forehead of a person wearing the eye wear, with each of the first and second ends of the brow bar member adapted to be disposed in a spaced, non-abutting relationship with each of the ears of the person wearing the eye wear; at least one lens disposed adjacent the brow bar member; each of the first and second ends of the brow bar member having a connector portion associated therewith; and an elongate cord retainer member having first and second ends, the cord retainer member having a generally rounded cross-sectional configuration, each of the first and second ends of the cord retainer member being connected to a connector portion of the brow bar member.
A further feature of the present invention is that the brow bar member may be curved, whereby the brow bar member closely conforms to the shape of the forehead of the person wearing the eye wear; and a cord retainer member is flexible and is adapted closely to conform to the shape of the temples of the person wearing the eye wear. An additional feature of the present invention is that a sweat bar member may be disposed on the brow bar member, and is adapted to be disposed in an abutting relationship with the forehead of the person wearing the eye wear.
Another feature of the present invention is that the at least one lens may be curved, whereby the at least one lens closely conforms to the shape of the forehead of the person wearing the eye wear. A further feature of the present invention is that the at least one lens may be a single lens disposed, and extending, over both eyes of the person wearing the eye wear. A nose piece member may be associated with the at least one lens. An additional feature of the present invention is that the at least one lens may include at least one vent to prevent fogging of the lens during use thereof. Additional features of the present invention are that the at least one lens may be formed of a plain glass material, or a plastic material, including a polycarbonate type of material. Additionally, the at least one lens may be a prescription lens, or may include a prescription lens attached to the at least one lens.
Another feature of the present invention is that one of the connector portions associated with the brow bar member may be an annular flange disposed upon a reduced neck portion formed on one of the ends of the brow bar member, or it may be a barbed member formed on one of the ends of the brow bar member. An additional feature of the present invention is that a flexible tubular shaped member, having first and second ends, may be associated with a connector portion of the brow bar member and one of the ends of the cord retainer member. The cord retainer member may be substantially non-elastic. A further feature of the present invention is that the cord retainer member may include a releasable locking member disposed intermediate the first and second ends of the cord retainer member, and is adapted to permit at least a portion of the cord retainer member to closely conform, in an abutting relationship, to the temples and the back of the head of the wearer of the eye wear.
The eye wear of the present invention, when compared with previously proposed conventional eye wear, has the advantages of: being generally a xe2x80x9cone size fits allxe2x80x9d eye wear, not requiring different sizes of bow or temple members, and, in fact, does not utilize a plurality of bow or temple members; remaining stable upon the wearer""s head during strenuous activity; remaining stable upon the wearer""s head without the use of an uncomfortable elastic strap; being compatible with various types of protective helmets and hats; and not easily fogging up during strenuous activity of the wearer.